Our blog is to keep family and friends informed of our motorhome journeys.

We have dreamed of this for many years and finally our dream has come true.

We are looking forward to many happy miles ahead.

One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things. Henry Miller.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Congressional Cemetery

22 May 2013

John wanted to visit several fort sites that were built during the Civil War and just contain markers and remains of earthworks. Forts Stanton, Grebel and Totten. Honestly don't know how he finds these as they were located in very questionable neighborhoods. Felt very unsafe and he is walking around looking for photo ops. I stayed in car with windows up and getting the vapors. Try to rein him in sometime, but to no avail.

Anyway, we finally made it the Congressional Cemetery as he wanted to photo some tombstones for his site.

The cemetery was established in 1807 and is the final resting place for over 700 Union and Confederate Soldiers as well the burial site for local residents who contributed to the history of the area. It is also home to over165 cenotaphs which honor members of Congress who died in office during the first decades of our history. The cemetery today holds more than 55,000 individuals in 30,000 sites marked by 14,000 headstones. The Federal government owns 800 sites.

Partial View

View of Cenotaphs

Chapel

The Public Vault built in 1832 stored the bodies of government officials before burial. Such notables as presidents Adams, Harrison and Taylor were residents as well as Dolly Madison who was interred there for two years while funds were being raised for her re-interment at Montpelier. Her body was then transferred to the Causten family vault across the path for six years before funds were raised.

Public Vault

There is an Indian Monument erected to remind us that we all live in unity.

Signage explaining the Indian Monument

Monument

The Arsenal Disaster Monument was erected over the graves of 16 victims of the Washington Arsenal explosion in 1864.

Arsenal Monument

www.congressionalcemetery.org

The cemetery is located on the west bank of the Anacostia River at 1801 E Street Washington DC.
It is maintained mostly by volunteers.